Engeland C, Mahoney C, Mohr E, Ilivitsky V, Knott VJ. Acute nicotine effects on auditory sensory memory in tacrine-treated and nontreated patients with Alzheimer's disease: an event-related potential study.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2002;
72:457-64. [PMID:
11900820 DOI:
10.1016/s0091-3057(02)00711-6]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The auditory mismatch negativity (MMN) event-related brain potential (ERP) reflects the storage of information in acoustic sensory memory. Thirteen patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 6 receiving treatment with the cholinesterase inhibitor, tacrine [tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA)], and 7 receiving no treatment, were administered 2 mg of nicotine polacrilex and placebo. MMNs were recorded with 1- and 3-s interstimulus intervals (ISIs) during pre- and post-placebo/nicotine administration. Amplitudes decreased from pre- to post-placebo recordings in nontreated patients but remained stable in THA-treated patients. Comparison of pre- and post-nicotine MMNs found amplitude increases with nicotine in nontreated but not in THA-treated patients. MMN latencies were shortened by nicotine in both treatment groups. These exploratory findings suggest that nicotine-improved strength of acoustic sensory memory traces and speed of acoustic sensory discrimination in AD are differentially affected by chronic tacrine treatment.
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